Home for the Holidays
by Ciircee
Summary: It's not your ordinary holiday fic. A bit of humor, a dash of sadness, and a lot of love. Hopefully it's original. If it's not, tell me so I can hang my head in shame. ^.^


Disclaimer: CLAMP owns. CLAMP would probably _not_ do this with my dear, sweet, ickle dandelions, but that's CLAMP's problem. CLAMP should not sue me if they come across this wee tidbit; it's not making a single yen.

Dedications: Edward, for telling me '_you should do it_' and Chelle-sama for saying '_do it_'. Love ya both. ^.^

Note to Note: Mostly silliness and fluff. Some minor (minor!) Out of Characterness, which I maintain follows the plot of a story that I never wrote and don't intend to write. Alas Fujitaka saying 'He's always bitching about something' just didn't seem to fit, so you're safe from major OoC.

Author's Note: I didn't want to write just another crappy, sappy Christmas fic. Hopefully it's a sappy, happy, not done-to-death New Years fic (since New Years is more important in Japanese custom and I couldn't finish it by Christmas). Please let me know what you think. I honestly didn't want to be one of eight thousand X-mas WAFFs out there; I wanted an original take on what the CCS gang might be like for the holidays. If I didn't manage, please let me know so I can hang my head in shame and cry in a corner.

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Home for the Holidays

Everybody was happily ensconced in the Kinomoto house, enjoying the busy, happy, productive holiday season. Everybody except Touya, Yukito and Nakuru who were at the mall finishing their shopping; and Syaoran and Sakura who had been sent to the grocery store for more pie ingredients. And, well, maybe Sonomi and Tomoyo hadn't yet arrived, but they were on their way. Oh, and Kero and Spinel were sleeping off a massive sugar binge at the Hiiragizawa house so that they would calm down enough to be allowed to return, a fact for which everybody was entirely grateful; save Nakuru, who had pouted about losing the entertainment. But there was the warm knowledge that soon the house would be bursting at the seams with people. Kinomoto Fujitaka was a man content. Well, maybe not… 

"Hiiragizawa-san, do you think I should have added more room to stretch?" Fujitaka held up his knitting with a frown. The sweater dangling from his hands was a very attractive dark green with patterns of sugarplums and umeboshi. Eriol looked up and frowned as well.

"Hm. It seems fine. A tight sweater might make Cerebrus less prone to over-eating." He snorted a bit as he said it. "But I'd make the wing-holes bigger; Spinel constantly complains that they chafe." He held up his own knitting, another small sweater, identical in color, with patterns of snowflakes. "I keep thinking I should make something that could stretch to accommodate changing to their true forms, but I just don't want to use spandex unless I absolutely have too." 

Fujitaka nodded thoughtfully in agreement and knit one, purled two. "Yue's allergic to spandex." He smiled at Eriol's perplexed look. "Swimsuits. Touya-kun assures me it's a very long, dull story."

"It's not very long and it's certainly not dull." Nadeshiko floated down the stairs and smiled. "Still, I don't believe that you'd like to hear about it."

"Nadeshiko-san." Both men nodded in greeting. As Eriol began the bottom hem of Spinel's gift, Fujitaka smiled at his wife's ghost. "Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked as she began to drift towards the kitchen.

Eriol snickered to himself and Nadeshiko kissed him on the forehead to shushed him. "I found something better, actually." As she spoke, Flowery drifted down the staircase and swirled her way into the kitchen; leaving behind a trail of green sprigs. Nadeshiko smiled and blew a kiss before following. Eriol continued to snicker. Fujitaka considered saying something rude to him when Nadeshiko said something rude in the kitchen. 

"Goodness, she's gotten...verbose." Eriol blinked, stunned, apparently not remembering all the times that Clow had heard Madoushi curse. In the kitchen, Nadeshiko began to sing to herself and Eriol's ears turned red. "And quite obscene. Goodness. Oh my, she's atrocious."

"Cheerfully so." Fujitaka admitted as his wife's song got a bit more graphic. "I don't suppose that Sakura-san would allow you to use Erase before Sonomi-kun arrives, do you? She's not going to be pleased by this mistletoe, not one little bit." The front door slammed open to the sound of bags dropping. It sounded as though Yukito and Nakuru had brought the entire mall home with them. Fujitaka had known it was a mistake to send the two of them out together. They positively fed off one another's energy and excitement.

"Mistletoe?" Touya sounded disgusted as he entered the living room. "Tell Sakura to clean this up. She's not kissing that Chinese brat in front of me." He flopped onto the couch with a sigh. "Remind me why I agreed to go shopping with them?" He asked the room at large.

"Because you love us!" Nakuru leapt on him from a distance of no less than ten feet. 

"And we love you!" Yukito added, also making a flying leap. He ended his by leaning around the girl under him to plant a kiss on the boy beneath her. Nakuru giggled and Touya smiled before kissing Yukito back. "What's with all the mistletoe?"

Nakuru wiggled around until she could look around the room. "Isn't it supposed to be hanging up?" She frowned thoughtfully and rolled over so that she and Yukito landed on the floor. "And for Christmas? This is New Years." 

"I don't think it's supposed to be growing, either." Yukito said in agreement as he sat up. "But I suppose that it depends on what they want to..." Touya nudged him in the back of his head with one knee and Yukito grinned cheerfully. "Sister complex." He muttered.

Touya glared without any real heat. "Shut up, Yuki." 

"It wasn't Sakura-san's doing. She and Li-san are still at the store." Fujitaka hummed quietly as he went back to pick up a dropped stitch. Nakuru frowned hard at her master.

"Eriol." She said severely. He looked up warily. "I thought we talked about how nice, sweet, little Tomoyo-chan is a girl with manners and _taste_." Nakuru pointed to the plant-covered floor. "Does this look elegant, classy or refined?"

Eriol pouted cutely. "I didn't do it. And I'm not trying to impress Tomoyo-san."

"Why not?" Sakura's voice came from the door. "You seem to like her an awful lot, so why not try to impress her?" There was a rustling of bags and Li Syaoran strolled into the family room. 

"Well, this isn't going to do it." He sighed, looking around the room. "Besides, you shouldn't be trying to impress Daidouji. She needs you like she needs a hole in her head."

Sakura's voice floated down the hall. "Syaoran-kun, what a thing to say!" 

"I didn't do this." Eriol protested. "Ask Kinomoto-sensei!"

"Daddy? What did Daddy do?" Sakura asked and winced as she walked in the room. "Oh, Daddy." 

Fujitaka and Eriol shared a commiserating glance. "It wasn't me either." He said to the room at large. The room at large shared speculative looks. Fujitaka sighed. 

"Oh, don't pout dearheart." Nadeshiko and Flowery waltzed back into the room together. "If you pout, poor Sonomi-chan will have to kiss and make it better." She giggled gleefully and kissed her children. Flowery kissed Syaoran and wound a sprig of mistletoe through his hair.

"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura giggled, sounding so like her mother that Fujitaka smiled, and bounced up on her toes to press a kiss on his cheek. "It's tradition!" she chirped. Touya glared at them before rolling his eyes.

"Isn't he cute, Eriol?" Nakuru asked as she pinched Syaoran's blushing cheeks. 

Eriol frowned, still smarting from the comments regarding Tomoyo. "No. He looks exactly like his great-great-great uncle Lok Chen who was constantly drunk and gambling and ended life fat enough to be a Sumo wrestler but not nearly so athletic. He died of a heart attack." 

"Eriol-kun!" Sakura stalked up to him and glared. "Don't be so mean." She glared at her chuckling brother. "You either, Oniichan." 

Li was pale as he stared at his one-time nemesis. "It's not true, is it?" Eriol shrugged and finished the hem.

Sakura glared before she decided to change the subject and rubbed the tingling place her un-seen mother had kissed. "Is Mother trying to get you to kiss Sonomi-obasan again?"

Touya snorted. "It looks like she's trying to get him to do _something_ with Sonomi-san." 

Nadeshiko gave her son a pointed look. "Don't be crass, sweetheart, it's your Father and my cousin you're talking about." The fact that Touya could no longer see her didn't diminish her chiding one whit. Touya blinked and looked vaguely sheepish. Eriol rolled his eyes and nodded meaningfully at Nadeshiko and Fujitaka shrugged. Women. She glared at both of them. "Don't start."

"Yes, Nadeshiko-san." They chorused. Fujitaka ignored his children's curious looks as he cuffed one sleeve. "Kero-kun is going to be hungry when he sees this, isn't he?" He asked suddenly as he examined his handiwork. 

Eriol nodded without looking up. "That's why I do snowflakes." He began to pack away his yarn. "Nakuru?" He held out the finished sweater. "You know your job."

"No." Spinel protested flatly from the doorway. "She's not putting that thing on me. I'll wear it, but she's not touching me." He loved Nakuru almost more than anybody else and usually she was as sweet and gentle with him as she was with Eriol, but she'd been shopping and had spent the day doing so with Yukito. Nothing good or gentle ever came out of such an expedition. 

"Suppi!" She giggled and snatched him, tugging the soft new garment over his head with ease. "Be nice or I won't give you a sweet!" She ruffled his wings and let him go with a wink. She'd been gentler than he'd thought she would be after all the mochachinos he knew she must have had.

Kero flew directly to Fujitaka's side. "Hey! Nice work!" He studied the design and smacked his lips. "It looks good enough to eat. Do we have any sugar plums left or did Greedy and Greedier eat them all?" He glared at the two moon guardians sitting on the floor picking mistletoe.

"Hey." They protested mildly. It was hard to protest vigorously when the accusation was true.

Tomoyo padded down the hall and into the room, explaining as she bowed in greeting. "Kero-chan called as we were leaving and asked if we would give him and Spinel a ride. He let us in." She smiled gently at a room full of almost all the people she loved best in the world. It was wonderful to see her dear Sakura and Li-kun so much in love; her two dearest friends. The guardians she had befriended teased each other from across the room and Eriol sat watching his creations and the creations of his past life with a contented smile. Tomoyo couldn't quite suppress her happy sigh. And soon the house would hold one more person whom she loved. "Great-Grandfather will also be here soon. He was delayed at the corporation."

"Sensei." Sonomi stood in the doorway and Fujitaka flinched. "What is all this?"

"Nothing?" He tried hopefully. She blinked balefully. "It wasn't my idea!" 

Tomoyo giggled and whispered something to Sakura. Sakura giggled and nodded. "Sensei..." Sonomi ignored her daughter's outright laughter with ease. "If this is some sort of attempt to...to..." She hoped he would say what she wanted him to say; that it was some attempt, no mater how pathetic, to win her heart. She'd been half in love with him until he'd married her cousin and the past few years, as Tomoyo and Sakura had grown, they'd spent enough time together that she'd fallen the rest of the way into love with the man who irritated her more than any other. She hoped he would say something, anything at all.

"I wouldn't attempt anything!" He protested furiously. "I didn't, I wouldn't, I couldn't possibly try to...to...um..." He trailed off as Sonomi stalked toward him. He thrust Kero's sweater over Kero's struggling body and bolted from his chair. "I wouldn't dare!" he backed desperately toward the door to the back yard.

Sonomi cornered him before he made it. "And _why_ not?" She asked, hearing the dangerous threat in her own voice. And then something drove her to commit an act she'd thought quite a bit about. She hauled him down for a firm kiss. He staggered as he was released and blinked fuzzily. But he didn't seem displeased, not if the way he'd kissed her in return meant anything.

"Oh, and she didn't even _see_ the kitchen!" Nadeshiko sighed as her husband and cousin stared at each other, each touching their lips in shock and disbelief. "There's so much more growing in there! Show her now, dearheart, it's much more private. Besides," she admonished as Sonomi heeded the un-heard advice. "You shouldn't be kissing in front of the kids...look at the example you're setting." But she was smiling as she looked around the room. A house filled with so much love made being dead and gone so much easier; when you knew that everybody would be taken care of it wasn't such a wrench to not be around.

"Well," Tomoyo remarked absently. "That seems to be going well." She smiled as Sakura and Syaoran began to wonder what to do with the milk and eggs now that the kitchen seemed to be occupied. She gazed philosophically at the ceiling.

Eriol turned his eyes to the ceiling as well. It, too, was covered with a living carpet of greenery. "Oh." He felt himself turn red. "That can be explained." 

Tomoyo hummed quietly. "No, I don't think it needs an explanation." She continued to look up. "I'm thinking about mistletoe." She said after a bit and looked directly at the boy beside her.

"Oh." Eriol was flummoxed. "It's not very sophisticated." He said after a moment of speechless staring. 

Tomoyo sighed. "And who said I needed sophistication?" She tilted her head as Eriol forgot about everybody else in the room and kissed her. 

Nakuru caught Spinel by his new clothes and smashed his face into Kero's. "Everybody's being kissed but me!" She said enviously, though she ruined it by laughing as Touya and Yukito both planted a firm, smacking kiss on her cheek.

"Leave the room for a few minutes..." Sonomi shook her head as she carried in a tray of champagne flutes. She was flushed and smiling.

Touya took the serving tray from her with a smile and small wink. "I was kissing a friend. It's those two we need to worry about." He nodded to a tongue-tied Eriol and Syaoran, who was holding Sakura's hand as though he were afraid to let go. Though he'd never admit it, at least not without being under duress, he rather liked the two boys. If somebody had to marry his sister and his sort-of-sister then at least he could be secure in the knowledge that they were worthy. 

"Touya-kun." Fujitaka beamed at his son. "Pass out the champagne and stop teasing. I'm going to let Grandfather in." He moved off to the front door and was opening it just seconds after the doorbell first rang. "Sir," he greeted respectfully. 

Grandfather stood on the doorstep, eyes narrowed. "Did you know that you can see right into the windows and watch all the things that happen inside if you stand on the sidewalk long enough?"

"Oh." Fujitaka thought for a moment and decided he might as well be hung for a sheep. "Sir, I love Sonomi-kun very much." Grandfather said nothing and Fujitaka swallowed. "It might interest you to know that Nadeshiko-san has been most intent on throwing me at Sonomi-kun. She approves. Nadeshiko-san, I mean. Well, Sonomi-kun hardly _objected_, but she isn't who I was talking about and won't you please come in?"

"Son, it might interest _you_ to know that my little pixie girl in there has been trying to not throw herself at you since she was sixteen." Grandfather stepped through the door and patted Fujitaka on the shoulder. "You take care of her. Now, introduce me to the boys who have taken my Great-Granddaughter's hearts. And the boy who was kissing my Great-Grandson. I'll want to meet that young lady he kissed too, but I think the boy is the one his heart is set on; right?"

Fujitaka blinked. Grandfather seemed remarkably calm about, well, everything. It was a far cry from the days when his relationship with Nadeshiko had been new. "Uh, you're right about Yukito-san, sir. And, um, the boys...Li Syaoran-san and....Sir, are you going to disown anybody tonight?" He hadn't quite meant to say it, but there it was. As much as Nadeshiko had loved her Grandfather, Fujitaka was not about to let the man ruin the New Year for everybody. Those people in his living room meant the world to him and rather than let any of them be hurt in the slightest he'd risk being back on the bad-side of the man whose respect and approval he wanted more than any others. Those whom he loved were worth any price he could ever possibly be asked to pay.

Grandfather hung up his coat with a heavy sigh. "Son, only a fool makes the same mistake twice." His eyes were damp as he looked at the man who had married his precious Nadeshiko-chan. He'd lost his sweet angel girl long before she'd died, thanks to his own stubbornness. He'd wasted years of time with his Great-grandchildren. But he'd learned, he thought. And it was time to admit as much to the young man who was defending those they both loved. "And I'm not a fool. If they're happy, that's all I can ask for. If he, any of them, can make them happy, then he's good enough. He's more than good enough."

"Great-Grandfather!" Sakura and Tomoyo were dashing down the short hall. 

"There are my two girls!" He held out his arms and soon had a girl in each. "Where's everybody? I have a whole roomful of special people I'm supposed to meet tonight." 

Fujitaka nodded as Sakura and Tomoyo lead the way back to the family room. "Yes, sir. If they're happy, then it's enough." He said quietly as he followed them. 

Eriol cornered him almost immediately. "Are you alright? You look like you swallowed an octopus. And Amamiya-san kept you in the entranceway for quite a while."

"I'm fine. Did you know that Sonomi-kun's had feelings for me for years?" Fujitaka blinked, still in shock, at his young counter-part. "I always thought she rather disliked me."

"Oh, for heavens sake!" Two semi-annoyed voices chorused. Sonomi had arrived at his side while he'd been talking and Nadeshiko had come to hover nearby. 

"You mean you never noticed?" Nadeshiko sounded utterly thunderstruck. "I always felt so bad for Sonomi-chan, because I knew she sort of liked you. I always thought that she could have fallen in love with you very easily, if things had been different." 

"Disliked you?" Sonomi shook her head. "It's part of why I was so mad at you and Nadeshiko-san for getting married. You took her away and she took you away. Disliked you," she snorted. "Quite the opposite." She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bring out more champagne. Sakura-san said something about making a toast."

Nadeshiko tutted. "Dearheart, go help her. Goodness, you men miss the most obvious of clues." She made her way across the room to kiss her Grandfather on the cheek, pausing only to stroke Spinel's wings and tousle Yukito's hair.

Eriol stared from Nadeshiko to the kitchen and then to Fujitaka. "Oh my great, holy ancestors!" He burst out, eyes the size of milk saucers. "Madoushi!"

Fujitaka had been living with spirits and magicians for long enough that his first reaction was to whirl around and scan the room. "Where?" Then it sank in. Nadeshiko, to Sonomi, to..."She loved us!" 

Sakura blinked at her father and her friend. "Madoushi-san? You didn't know that she loved Clow-san?" Her brow furled. "I know she didn't tell him, but you didn't guess at all? I guessed right away." She shrugged and went back to dividing kiwi-slices between Kero and Spinel. 

"Oh, and we wanted her..." Eriol sighed. "All that time...wasted." Fujitaka nodded in sympathy even as he turned to follow his new chance at happiness into the kitchen.

Tomoyo slipped her hand into his and smiled. "Clow-san is gone, and so is Madoushi-san. Maybe they'll meet again some time in the future. For now, I'm here and you're here. Are you going to waste more by thinking about what might have been?" 

In all his long life, as Clow and as an un-aging boy in England, Eriol had had wishes and dreams. He was wise enough to recognize them when they walked up and smiled at him. "No." He smiled and squeezed her fingers. He looked out over the room and sighed in quiet joy. This was a moment he couldn't possibly take for granted.

"You see what I see, don't you?" Yukito's voice was soft in Touya's ear. "The room is glowing." He knew that Touya couldn't see it, but he could hope. And inside him, Yue could shift a little power through their clasped hands.

"It's like being inside the Christmas tree when all the lights are out except the candles in the windows." Nakuru moved to hold Touya's other hand and Yukito could feel the power flow into Touya from Ruby Moon. He smiled at the girl who had become his friend and ally. She winked at him and closed her eyes. A rush of power washed into Touya and Yukito followed suit; the lights that he'd seen dimmed into near-nothingness but beside him, the man he loved drew a deep breath, eyes wide. He tightened his hold on his hand as Yue began to draw the power back. Inside him, Yue was smiling as widely as Touya.

"Thank you." Touya murmured. "Thank you both." The sweet look was as soft as a kiss. 

Nakuru smiled at her two friends. Part of her would always want Touya to love her, but it was quiet when faced with the love that she could see between the two men. Besides, being friends with Yukito and Yue and Touya was better than just having a boyfriend. "We should thank you." She grinned and popped up to kiss them both on the lips. She winked at their amused astonishment and decided to steal some of the fruit Sakura had given to Spinel. He'd probably share without even rolling his eyes at her.

"Everybody get a glass of champagne!" Sakura's voice floated over the room and Syaoran had to smile. Everything about her made him smile. "I want to make a toast so everybody needs a glass!" He reached out for the glass that Touya had left him earlier and paused. He'd been told, often, by his mother and sisters that he wasn't like most of the men of the Li Clan; not as ruthless, not as cold, not as lonely. He drew his hand away from the glass and hoped Sakura wouldn't notice if he tried to not be like one more member of his family.

"I didn't make up Lok Chen." Hiiragizawa's voice was soft behind him. Syaoran didn't turn around to acknowledge him. "I didn't make him up, but you're not like him." 

He couldn't help turning around. Hiiragizawa looked serious and intent. He wasn't next to Daidouji anymore, she was talking to Cerebrus; as he watched, the other boy picked up the glass he'd recently decided to abandon. "I'm not like most of my Clan." He said shortly, annoyed that he'd believed his former nemesis again.

"That's not true either." The other boy said and Syaoran watched him take a deep breath. "I always watched your family closely in case I would need to keep you from coming to Tomoeda; in case you _were _ like the rest of them. But your father wasn't like them. And you're just like him." Hiiragizawa nodded once, sharply, and pressed his drink into his hand before crossing the room to stand with Nakuru, Spinel and Tomoyo. Syaoran, blinking rapidly, watched Eriol for a moment as the other boy smiled and laughed. Hiiragizawa must, he thought, know what he'd said, what it meant. He'd never been able to remember his father. It was a moment before Syaoran could turn his eyes back to his girlfriend. 

Sakura stood in the center of the family room. "Alright, is everybody ready?" Kero watched her with small grin. He could see her aura of kindness and love as clearly as he could see the smile on her face. There was something missing and if she was half the Mistress she'd already proven herself to be, she'd pick up on it. Sure enough her eyes clouded. "Wait." She said quietly as the others in the room held their glasses up for the toast. "Something isn't...oh!" Her smile widened. "Please," She whispered and her magic swirled through the house. "Please join us." The Cards appeared in a neat stack on the table. Firey took up a seat in the flame of the candle on the shelf, with Glow hovering near and Light sitting at the base of it while Dark and Shadow took seats inside the place the brightness couldn't reach due to the curve of the candleholder. Rain and Cloud floated together near Big, who held Little in the palm of her hand. Dash curled up with Jump and Change under the coffee table as Power, Fight and Arrow stood with Watery and the Twin near the stairs. Mirror stood next to Touya, who tugged gently on the ribbon in her hair. The room was crowded, but it was perfect, Kero mused. As content and as quiet and as wonderful as life with Clow had been, there was something to say for this jumbled mass of noise and excitement.

"_Now_ we're ready." Sakura beamed at all the faces that turned toward her. "First, please take care of me for the New Year. Second I wanted us all to meet here before going to the Tsukimine Shrine for the festival because I have something to say to all of you that's very important." She giggled to herself as a faint ripple of worry swept through the family of her blood and her magic and her heart. "It's nothing bad." She told them, smiling at their concern. "It's just that I love you. I love all of you. And I wanted you all to know how happy I am that all of us can be together." She could feel her mother close by and closed her eyes, imagining a warm hug. "Not every family can be together for special days and I think it's so special that we are all home for this one." 

"Gaki isn't home." Touya called out. Sakura couldn't help grinning at him, glad that he'd broken her mood a little so that she wouldn't actually cry from all her wonderful emotions. "I could pack him up in a box if you want him to be home."

She knew him better than he thought. "Oniichan, I know you'd miss Syaoran-kun if he left." Her brother looked away with a roll of his eyes and a slight flush to his face. She smiled and reached out to take Syaoran's hand in her own. "Besides, even if it is a cliché and even if it sounds stupid to say it, he is home. Because home is wherever the people you love, and the people who love you, happen to be." And he was as lucky as she was, to have two homes to go to. She could feel the ring that had been practically burning a hole in his pocket for months and knew that tonight would most likely be the night he finally took it out and gave it to her. Sakura hugged the joy of the day to herself and smiled at the people who made up her life. "I'm so glad, so much more than I can say, that we're all home together." She lifted her glass and felt a single, happy tear slide down her cheek as they all raised their voices.

"To home."

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Someplace not so very far away...

Clow Read sat back from his scrying circle with a lightened heart. He smiled gently at the book that rested on the small table beside his chair and patted the lion on the cover with a fond hand.

"It's good." He said to the empty, echoing room. "You'll all be happy with the new Mistress." It had weighed heavily on his mind as he'd set his plans in motion. His children...He hadn't meant to peer forward, not really, especially because there was little he could change at this late date, but the glimpse had reassured him. It was a small comfort to know this part of the future when knowing the future was normally a burden beyond bearing. With that in mind he brought his hands to cup the air in front of him, drawing a glowing red-gold light from his head and heart.

"Best to seal this away. Fujitaka and Eriol should have a surprise." The magician chuckled softly to himself as the memory he drew from his body began to take shape in front of him. A star formed out of pure, gleaming crystal and wings sprouted up from it to curve over it forming a heart. The memory floated in front of him, reflecting the scenes he'd witnessed. He saw Touya wink at Sonomi, Nadeshiko waltz by with Flowery; there was Sakura, his precious daughter, kissing his many-times removed cousin on the cheek, and there were the two halves of himself staring in shock at each other as they realized...

"My great, holy ancestors!" Clow sat forward in shock, staring sightlessly at the revolving memory-charm in front of him. "Madoushi! She loved me!" He picked up the book and flipped it over to glare at the moon on the back. "Did you know about this?" He demanded. The guardian there slept undisturbed. Clow laid the book down again and watched the memories of the future sparkle. Then he chuckled. "Madoushi," He sighed, settling back in the chair, "I'm going to track you down in the after-life and you and I are going to have a long, long talk about how one properly shows affection for others." 

He closed his eyes and continued to smile to himself as the Clow Book vanished so that it could be found at an archeological site and taken to a small shop in Osaka; the crystalline memory dimmed and faded away as though it had never entered any mind other than those that created it. Clow himself faded as the midnight bells chimed to signal the new year. He placed two sets of feet upon the path to make the memory and find that happiness…

In the far-future Firey accidentally set a small blaze burning in the mistletoe on the ceiling. Rain, Watery and Wave all jumped to the rescue--unfortunately all at the same time, soaking almost everybody in the room. Yukito didn't really notice it because Touya was picking a fight with 'the Chinese gaki and the English gaijin' and he was berating him. So it was lucky that Shield was there to protect them when Erase simply erased the fire and most of the ceiling. Which might have been fine (since the Return was already moving to stop Erase from acting while Time set himself into place to prevent it from happening again) had Windy not tried to dry them and blown a bit of Grandfather's conversation with Fujitaka about 'Sonomi-kun's hand in marriage' over to Sonomi, who let both men know, at the top of her voice, that she was not some property to be handed over. While Sakura was telling her father to apologize and Tomoyo was telling her mother that she'd over-reacted, Move uncovered a well-hidden, very full, plate of sugar plums; half of which Cerebrus promptly devoured before shoving the others into Spinel Sun's protesting mouth. Silent glared but decided that shushing everybody could only make things worse and returned to the Sakura Book. Yue and Ruby Moon took over their respective bodies in an attempt to restore order but their wings took up so much space that Little stomped her feet and shrank them.

And despite the deafening noise, the wet, the wind, the jump in time to replace a falling upper-story, the suddenly 'missing' guardians, and the fact that they were all going to be late to the Shrine's festival, there was a house full of people who were happy to be home.


End file.
